98 ARABIA INFELIX
holed eyrie, to ward off human marauders by night and the stealthy herd at dawn. Baboon do not raid after the sun is well up, so the watcher gets home to breakfast, and may smoke and drink coffee all night.
The slingers, who ward off the attacks of sparrows from the crops on Sanaa plain, have a much harder lot. They must be on their lofty machan at peep of day, when their chilly fingers can hardly hold the sling, and shout and hurl all day, till the birds go to roost.
It is the constant cracking of their slings, accompanied by guttural yells, that makes the birds so wild on Sanaa plain; but the slinger is a sporting carl, and will hold his hand if he sees you stalking, and tell you where the leverets feed among the lucerne.
While at work in Yamen, the naturalist should bear in mind that he is allowed on sufferance among a rather turbulent population, ruled nominally by a Power that has many difficulties to encounter elsewhere. He should therefore make a point of avoiding local friction, and causing the Government, that has sanctioned his enterprise, as little trouble as possible. Crops should be respected, and his armed escort should not be allowed to pilfer among garden-land. The gift of a few pigeons or a guinea-fowl, properly c hilalled' in Allah's name, is just as efficacious as a brace of birds to tenantry at home. The Yamen farmer is a sportsman, when he knows his property will be respected.
The naturalist should know the language, and if he has any medical knowledge, and can use it with discretion, he will soon win the confidences and esteem of the district.
As regards his equipment, he must bear in mind that though Yamen is full of illicjt fire-arms, openly carried in